Yomi Olaniwun
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced the 2026 LIONS Scholarship Jury—a global collective of C-suite leaders, founders, presidents and department heads tasked with nominating the next generation of creative and marketing talent ahead of this June’s Festival.
The LIONS Scholarship is designed to widen access to the global creative marketing industry, offering 10 young creatives and marketers from 10 different countries a fully funded opportunity to attend Cannes Lions 2026. Winners will join either the Creative Academy or the Brand Marketers Academy — immersive programmes for professionals aged 30 and under, built around high-level learning and global peer networking.
In a move that underscores Cannes Lions’ growing emphasis on equity and representation, the scholarship covers passes, travel and accommodation, ensuring financial barriers do not restrict access to world-class creative development.
Applications are currently open and will close on 5th December, 2025.
To safeguard fairness and global representation, the Jury has been curated across markets and disciplines — spanning brand leadership, creative direction, AI innovation, communications, media, and entrepreneurship.
Among the appointed jury members are:
- Andrea Quaye, Marketing Director, Heineken, South Africa
- Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh, CEO/Founder, BrainWave AfricaTech, Ghana
- Brigid Alkema, Chief Creative Officer, Clemenger BBDO, New Zealand
- Chandu Rajapreyar, Group Executive Creative Director, Hakuhodo, Vietnam
- Colin Selikow, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Chicago, United States
- Emir Shafri, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe, Malaysia
- Eugene Park, Integrated Marketing Experience (IMX), CJ CheilJedang, South Korea
- Felipe Simi, CEO & Creative Chairperson, Droga5 Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Françoise Nottrelet, Global Head of Content Partnerships and Licensing, StarNews Mobile, France
- Gabriel Barrio, Commercial Manager, UNACEM Peru, Peru
- Gabriel Suárez Ortega, Latin America Marketing Director, Edgewell Personal Care, Colombia
- Gaurav Virkar, Global AI and Media Leader, P&G (Beauty Care), Singapore
- Genevieve Hoey, Global Creative Director – Masterbrand, Our LEGO Agency, Denmark
- George Bryant, Global Chief Creative Officer, Golin, United Kingdom
- Helena Bertho, Global Director of D&I, Nubank, Brazil
- Jacquie Mullany, Executive Creative Director, FCB Africa, South Africa
- Jayesh Nair, EMEA Creative and Integrated Media Lead, Bayer Consumer Health, Switzerland
- Jess Greenwood, Strategy, Marcom, Apple, United States
- Josafat Padilla, Regional Chief Creative Officer, Havas Costa Rica, Costa Rica
- Kenya Hunt, Editor-in-Chief, ELLE UK, United Kingdom
- Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communication, UAE Government Media Office, UAE
- Kimberly Evans Paige, Executive VP and Chief Brand Officer, BET Media Group, United States
- Klaartje Galle, Chief Creative Officer, VML Belgium
- Leila Katrib, Global Executive Creative Director, Incubeta, UAE
- Mariko Fukuoka, Creative Director, Dentsu Inc., Japan
- Mary Njoku, Founder and CEO, ROK Studios (A Canal+ subsidiary), Nigeria
- Maurice Wangalachi, Creative Director, Ogilvy Africa, Kenya
- Michael Duffy, Brand and Innovation Head, AMEA Region, Opella Consumer Healthcare, Australia
- Mohammed Jifri, CMO, Hunger Station, UAE
- Nada Abisaleh, Head of Leo Beirut, Lebanon
- Robert Thompson, Head of Marketing and Communication, Sanlam Investments, South Africa
- Rodney Williams, Managing Director, Trestle Glen Group, Canada
- Sadira E. Furlow, Global Chief Brand and Comms Officer, Tony’s Chocolonely, Netherlands
- Sidick Bakayoko, Founder and CEO, Paradise Game, Ivory Coast
- Xavier Blais, Partner & Executive Creative Director, Rethink, Canada
- Yaa Boateng, Chief Creative Officer & Managing Director, The Storytellers, Ghana
The LIONS Scholarship reflects a broader industry shift toward expanding access and diversifying the pipeline of creative leadership. By assembling a jury that spans continents, disciplines and cultural contexts, Cannes Lions is reinforcing its commitment to elevating talent that might otherwise remain unseen.
In an era where commercial creativity is increasingly shaped by global nuance, technological fluency and cross-market thinking, initiatives like the Scholarship serve as a strategic investment in the industry’s future leadership.
Applications close on the 5th of December, 2025.
Yomi Olaniwun
